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European Winter Escape

7 days & 6 nights,Private Journey

Handcrafted itineraries for one or more travelers with on-the-ground support, a private guide, and a private vehicle. Private Journeys represent the best of the custom programs we've designed over the years. Our insider knowledge and destination expertise make these innovative journeys truly unique experiences.

Experience Central Europe during wintertime with Cox & Kings and make memories to last a lifetime. Watch snowflakes fall on Charles Bridge in Prague, and icicles hanging from the eaves of a Gothic Cathedral. Soak in steaming mineral waters in Budapest, attend a classical concert in Vienna; explore romantic and historic markets inviting you to dabble in cute stalls selling everything from gingerbread to sleigh bells, and toast to your vacation with a glass of warming Glühwein.

Day 1

Arrive Prague

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by your Cox & Kings local representative and transferred to your hotel. Situated just steps from Charles Bridge, the Four Seasons Prague interweaves centuries of remarkable history and architecture with all the conveniences of modern technology. In the middle of vibrant Old Town Prague, experience an enclave at the edge of the Vltava River, with views of Prague Castle.

Four Seasons, Prague - 2 Nights (B)

Day 2

Prague

After breakfast, join your private guide for a full-day private in-depth tour of Prague. See Prague Castle, and St. Vitus Cathedral; walk the cobbled lanes of Mala Strana, cross Charles Bridge, and admire the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Square while learning about the city’s Habsburg heritage and ancient roots. In the evening, attend a fascinating Black Light Theater performance.

Four Seasons, Prague (B)

Day 3

To Vienna

Cross Southern Bohemia and head into Austria with your private car and driver. En-route, visit stunning Melk Abbey perched high above the river Danube, then arrive in Austria’s capital Vienna. During your evening at leisure, share the holiday spirit with locals at one of the city’s Christmas Markets. Then enjoy a classical concert and sumptuous dinner at one of Vienna’s prime concert venues.

Park Hyatt Vienna - 2 Nights (B, D)

Day 4

Vienna

Enjoy exclusive city sightseeing in Vienna with your private guide and driver including Schonbrunn Palace, summer residence of the Habsburg family until 1916 and former home of Empress Maria Theresa. In the afternoon you are invited to explore Vienna’s famous coffee houses. Once upon a time favored by great minds like Sigmund Freud, Karl Kraus and Arthur Schnitzler, “Viennese Coffee House Culture” is listed as “Intangible Cultural Heritage” in the Austrian inventory of the “National Agency for the Intangible Cultural Heritage”, a part of UNESCO.

Park Hyatt Vienna (B)

Day 5

To Budapest

Drive east this morning, and stop in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. Then follow the Danube downstream to Hungary, and its appealing capital Budapest. Officially recognized as a spa town, Budapest boasts more than twenty natural underground hot springs. Why not spend the remainder of the afternoon soaking in one of the city’s traditional baths?

Four Seasons Gresham Palace - 2 Nights (B)

Day 6

Budapest

Breakfast will be served at the hotel’s stylish café; then head out for a day of sightseeing with your private art expert. View the city from Gellert Hill, explore the castle district including Matthias Church, once the coronation chapel for numerous Hungarian kings, as well as Fisherman’s Bastion. Then continue to the Pest side of the city, and admire wonderful art deco architecture and countless remnants of the 1896 World Fair. Should you wish to continue exploring the city on your own, at your disposal is the oldest electrified underground railway system on the European continent, and the second-oldest in the world. Its totemic Line 1, completed in 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.

Four Seasons Gresham Palace (B)

Day 7

Depart Budapest

Bid farewell to Hungary today. Conclude your vacation with a stroll across Chain Bridge, or down elegant Andrássy Avenue before being escorted to the airport for your onward flight.

(B)

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Journey Highlights

Explore Prague Castle with a private local historian

Discover the cobbled lanes of Prague’s Mala Strana neighborhood

Visit royal Schonbrunn Palace

Revel in the compositions by Mozart and Strauss from the front row at a classical concert in Vienna

Indulge in the historic and artistic heritage of Budapest’s castle district

TRAVEL TIPS

Road Travel

At Cox & Kings we believe that a good travel experience is not luck but judgment. We have compiled the following advice to outline the nature of travel in Europe and to help you prepare for your trip. Even with the most meticulous planning, however, minor problems can occur and, while our local representatives are always on hand to rectify such occurrences, we do request that you have a patient and broadminded approach to traveling in Europe.

Cruises & Train Tours

The river cruises and train tours in this brochure are offered subject to the conditions of carriage of the individual Train Company. PLEASE NOTE that in exceptional circumstances they may vary their itineraries with little or no notice, if water levels become unsafe, train lines become blocked or to avoid areas of dense traffic. Such changes are rare, but you should check the final itinerary at reception when you embark.

Early Starts

A number of flights within Europe arrive / depart early in the morning, and while we will endeavour to schedule your tour with a flight which arrives / departs at a reasonable time, sometimes there is little or no alternative and early check-in / check-out times may be required.

Accommodation

Accommodation standards vary dramatically throughout Europe, and hotels in Eastern Europe, Albania, Macedonia and regional Turkey, should not generally be compared to Western European standards. For our tours we have chosen hotels primarily for their location and the facilities available. We will endeavour to supply any extra information that you may require on these hotels. The hotels listed in the tour itineraries may occasionally be unavailable for the required dates. In this event, we will advise you of alternative hotels, which will, where possible, be of the same or of a higher standard than those featured in the itineraries. There are many new hotels being built in Europe and we may upgrade those featured in the brochure if better options in the same category become available. Please note all rooms reserved on your tour are standard; however, if you wish to upgrade your room (e.g. to a lake view or suite etc.), please speak to your tour consultant, who will be able to advise you about the options and the applicable supplements.

Check-in & Check-out Times: For all group and individual tours, hotel check-in/out time is normally 12 noon, but this does vary between hotels. Early check-ins and late check-outs cannot be pre-booked, but can sometimes be negotiated on site.

Walking

Many of the sites in Europe are quite spread out, and our tours consequently involve a reasonable amount of walking. Whilst the walking is normally easy going, a full-day’s sightseeing can be quite tiring and sometimes strenuous.

Dress

Although tourism is not a new concept in most parts of Europe, many of the areas visited are still extremely traditional. Therefore kindly respect local customs and dress codes.

Visas

Many countries require passports, visas to be presented before entry is permitted. Please ensure that all traveling members, including infants and children, are in possession of a passport, valid for at least 6 months, prior to departure. It is convenient and safe to have the visa process facilitated by Cox & Kings Limited from the concerned Consulates / Authorities on your behalf. Please note that it is totally at the discretion of the concerned Consulates / Authorities to grant / reject your visas. The consulate may require further documentation and / or personal appearance.

Region Details

What To See: Vienna is a splendid historical city, with its grand imperial palaces, museums flanking magnificent squares and, above all, the Hofburg - where the Habsburg rulers lived. Visit Salzburg for alpine beauty, an incredible fortress and some seriously scrumptious cakes. Suspended above the deep-green Inn River, the Alps are Innsbruck’s monumental attractions: creeping up on street corners, reflecting in glass façades and sneaking into every snapshot. Graz is an attractive place with verdant green parkland, red rooftops and a small, fast-flowing river gushing through its center. Zell Am See attracts travelers looking to relax and rejuvenate - and enjoy some excellent skiing in the winter.